How to Keep Cool when Wedding Dress Shopping

Shopping for a wedding dress can be a stressful experience. From the price of the dress to the sizing, style, and “wow” factor, there’s a lot of pressure on brides (from both internal and external forces) to find the perfect look. Take it from a fellow bride – you don’t have to let your inner bridezilla out during this process! Instead, follow these stress-free shopping tops to keep cool finding your wedding dress.

Have a budget and stick to it

Aside from the venue, your wedding dress is one of the most expensive items you’ll pay for when getting married. Before you start turning the pages of a bridal magazine, think about your budget. Consider all of the things you’re going to be in charge of paying for, whether it’s the entire event or smaller things like wedding flowers and photographers. This will help you determine a price range for your dress that’s reasonable. When you start dress shopping, limit your search to dresses in your budget. It’ll save you a lot of time and frustration!

Start looking ASAP

Wedding dresses can take an extremely long time to come in. Depending on who you order from, it could take up to 10 months for a dress to be ordered, made, and shipped. To keep your inner bridezilla at bay, start dress shopping as soon as possible. This is an especially important step for those ultra-picky brides! Starting early leaves you more time to explore your options, make a decision, and place an order so that the dress arrives in time for the big day.

Know what you like (and what you don’t)

Being able to clearly relay what you like and don’t like in terms of wedding dresses is going to be paramount when it comes to shopping. Salon associates have a pretty good idea of what they have on hand in the store, but they’ll need to understand your vision before they can show you looks you’ll love. Conversely, if you’re shopping online, you’re going to need an even more specific idea of what you like in order to search for those looks. Simply searching “wedding dresses” is going to take you down a never-ending rabbit hole of options that can quickly become overwhelming. Know what you love, what you like, and what you hate to make finding your dream dress a simpler process.

Shop at off times

There’s nothing worse than rummaging through racks of dresses for 3-4 hours on a Saturday afternoon. Lessen the chaos and tension of shopping for a wedding dress by making appointments at off times. Take a half day from work and schedule an appointment with a bridal salon for a midweek afternoon visit. With less people present, your stylist will be able to give you their undivided attention and in some cases, let you try on more dresses than you would be able to on a busy Saturday or Sunday.

Don’t be afraid to ask for help

You may feel like you have it under control when you start looking for a wedding dress, but it’s important to acknowledge that there are people around you that you can lean on! From friends and family to the stylists at any bridal salon you visit, you’ll be surrounded with guidance. To lessen the stress put on you, only bring those friends and family members with opinions you trust (and will want to hear). Bringing too many people along when you shop can turn into a nightmare and ultimately bring out the worst in you. While browsing for dresses, interact with your stylist so that you get the most out of your appointment. From helping you understand the ordering process to letting you know when Spring 2018 wedding dresses will be in, consider your stylist a wealth of knowledge while you’re shopping. Once you place an order, obtain contact information for the shop and stylist so that if you have future questions, you can find the answers.

Shopping for a dress can be a frustrating and confusing process, but only if you let it be! Follow these tips and tricks to make finding your dream wedding dress a no-stress event.

I design and make bespoke handmade bridal bouquets and bridal arrangements using high quality silk and foam flowers as a compelling alternative to traditional flower bouquets. I love working with my brides on their ideas so whether you have seen something that you would like me to recreate or have an interesting idea you would like me to bring to life for your wedding day, I would love to work with you.